Former staff and patients as well as former Department of Health employees are being urged to provide information which may help a joint investigation by Broadmoor Hospital and the Department of Health.

Dr Bill Kirkup, former deputy chief medical officer leading the investigation, said: “A number of people involved in Broadmoor Hospital have already contacted our investigation and we are interviewing them now.

“But there may be other former patients and staff as well as former Department of Health staff who had contact with Jimmy Savile during the time he was involved with the hospital who have not yet come forward but who may want to share their experiences, however minor they might believe them to be.

“We are working to ensure we have the fullest possible picture of Savile’s time at Broadmoor Hospital so that we are aware of any offences he may have committed during his involvement at the hospital, and any other inappropriate behaviour.

"Any issues identified by the investigation will be acted upon and appropriate systems will be put in place.

"Our aim is to reassure the public, patients and staff that our policies and safeguarding procedures are fit for purpose and will prevent recurrence in future.

“We can be contacted via a confidential telephone line, by email or by post and I would urge anyone who wants to contact us to do so now, while we are still gathering evidence and conducting interviews.”

Initial enquiries suggest that Savile first had contact with Broadmoor Hospital in 1967 after a patient wrote to him. At the time Savile was a presenter of the BBC programme Top of the Pops. Savile’s last visit at Broadmoor is believed to have been in around 2004.

Any former member of staff or patient who wishes to contact the investigation can call the investigation office on (01344) 754 122, the confidential telephone helpline on 0800 783 5865, email savileinvestigations@dh.gsi.gov.uk or write to Savile Investigations, Department of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS.